During his segment Tuesday on the Pat McAfee Show Live, Jets QB Aaron Rodgers provided his perspective on questions that have arisen about him and the franchise over the past several weeks on multiple fronts. First and foremost, the Jets quarterback said he hasn't decided about playing in the NFL next season. But if he does, he would prefer it to be the Jets.
"I haven't told anybody in my life that I want to play in 2025 and not on the Jets. That's 100 percent false," Rodgers said. "I actually have said the opposite. I'm going to wait and see what happens at the end of the season, if they want me back. ... A lot of things are out of my control when it comes to that, but I've enjoyed my time in New York. Obviously, we haven't had the success we wanted to have. I love living in New Jersey, I came here to win here. I don't know if I want to play yet, but it would definitely be in New York."
Rodgers qualified his remarks with "I don't know if I want to play yet." He also added in the same vein, "At this point, I'm open to everything and attached to nothing."
Specifically, the QB explained, the ultimate decision on his playing with the Jets in '25 depends on many things that aren't in his control or aren't yet known.
"When you're 40 going on 41, you're obviously at the end of your career," he said. "So if it's New York, they have to want me to be here. Then the new GM and the new staff all have to want me to be with the Jets. Body-wise, I have to see how I'm feeling, if I want to sign up and go back to the grind and all that."
In connection with Rodgers' statement on still having an interest of returning to the Green & White, he addressed several side issues that also arose recently.
Rodgers' reported reluctance to undergo medical tests regarding his health:
"I feel great right now. I felt really good the last game we played against the Colts, as good as I've felt in a long time. I will not willingly go on IR without an injury. As far as scans, I know my body better than anybody, and I have a great relationship with Zuff [head athletic trainer Dave Zuffelato] and the doctors on the staff. They diagnosed what I was dealing with, I told them how I was feeling. There was no mandate ever that 'you've got to get this scanned.' ... There wasn't any weirdness around that, just normal conversation. I met with the guys, let them do the exam and told them how I was feeling."
How he feels now about playing "year to year" compared to his last few seasons with the Packers:
"In '22, I knew my time in Green Bay was probably at an end and they wanted to move on. That allowed me to think about if I still wanted to play. When I was traded to New York, I definitely wanted to give it at least two good years. Now obviously there are opinions about whether I've given any good years. Last year was the injury, this year hasn't gone as well as anybody has liked. But I've had a good time, two really beautiful years of the ups and downs and in-betweens. A lot has to go into [a decision to play another year]. Body-wise, you have to feel like you want to give it a go, and you want to be in a spot where you think you can win and you're valued. A lot can change. I'm not attached to anything. But playing in New York would be my first choice if I want to play."
What Rodgers Would Be Playing For in the Future:
Vital elements to any decision Rodgers makes to continue playing are his pride and his legacy, a lot of which are the numbers and the achievements he's accumulated in his two decades in the NFL. But there is more to it than that for him. There are the personal relationships he's forged over the years, which came rushing back to him when he returned to Cal and reunited with his mates from long ago and which he experiences every day he's in the Jets locker room, on the practice field and performing at MetLife Stadium and on the road.
"I think that's the most important thing, whether you're 8-3 or 3-8, playing for the playoffs or playing for pride," he said. "It's how do you show up every single day? Are you the same person, bringing that same enthusiasm and energy? If you can do that, it just just shows how you love this game, how you love to compete. ... I've got a lot of pride in what I've accomplished, and I've got a lot of love for my teammates. I want to go out there and play as well as I can, but I want to be present every day in practice, lead the best way that I can and impact my teammates."
